Jackie Leon Plain, age 86, resident of Ft. Scott, KS, died Friday, January 3, 2020, at Guest Home Estates in Ft. Scott. He was born November 2, 1933, three miles east of Mapleton, KS, the son of Arthur and Belle Post Plain. He was the last of five children. He graduated from Fulton high school.

Jack served in the U. S. Army for two years after helping his father farm for several years. He married Pauline Lucille Shadden Davis on May 12, 1967, in Ft. Scott. She preceded him in death on May 24, 2014.

Jack worked for Western Insurance Company for 23 years and later AAA Insurance as a senior underwriter. He worked for and retired from the Maricopa County Sheriff’s department as a corrections officer.

Jack enjoyed fishing, hunting and riding horses. He was a member of the Fulton Masonic Lodge and Community Christian Church.

Survivors include a son, Lynn Plain and wife Kathi, Ft. Scott;three daughters: Candice Duarte and husband Manuel, Spring Hill, KS, Tammy Locke and husband Kevin, and Polly Plain, all of Gardner, KS; two step-daughters, Belinda Richardson and husband Michael, and Donna Galvin and husband Tracy, all of Ft. Scott; five grandchildren, Deidre Hof , Jeffrey Plain and wife Courtney, Levi Locke, Shyan Locke, and Alison Duarte; three step-grandchildren, Donna Wilson, Adam Hayden and wife Missy, and Sunnye Hayden; three great grandchildren, Olivia Hof, Cassidy Plain, and Casen Plain; eight step-great grandchildren, Nicholas Wilson, Kaitlyn Doherty, Kristen McCoy, Cooper, Cole and Cale Hayden, Allison Zerger, and Brooke Garrett; and seven step-great-great grandchildren, Eisely, Crew and Landon Doherty, Drexel and Bennett McCoy, Marlee Ogran and Landry Warwick; and several nieces and nephews.

Besides his wife, he was preceded in death by two brothers, Raymond and Leo Plain; two sisters, Florence Jent and Eva Atherton; and his parents.

Rev. Dusty Drake will conduct funeral services at 10:00 AM Wednesday, January 8^th, at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Burial will follow in the Mapleton Cemetery

. Military honors will be provided by the Olson Frary Burkhart Post #1165 V.F.W.

The family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Tuesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel.

Memorials are suggested to Mirza Shrine Transportation Fund and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, PO Box 347, 201 S. Main St., Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” James 5:16

Over the years, I have been blessed to receive many letters from readers. Many of those letters asked questions. One reader wrote, “Dear Pastor James, you are without a doubt the biggest pinhead on the planet. Who told you that you were a writer?” Signed, “Phillis Stein.”

Another reader wrote, “James Collins, you are a narrow-minded bigot. Where do you get off by saying Jesus is the only way?” Signed, “Barry Cuwder.”

Another letter read, “We’ve been trying to reach you about your car’s extended warranty. Why don’t you reply?” Signed, “Otto Matik.”

One of my favorite letters said, “Dr. Collins, I’m sorry that I called you an idiot in my previous letter. I really thought you already knew. I could explain to you how stupid you are, but I can’t understand it for you. What university would be so moronic as to give you a doctorate?” Signed, “Rory Motion.”

This past week, I received a letter from Ladonna (not her real name). She wrote, “Dear Pastor Collins, I write today because I am confused. Many years ago, I made accusations against another person that were just false. It created a crisis that I am ashamed of today. Should I try to make it right after all these years or should I just leave well enough alone… I don’t want to make things worse or dig up old wounds. What should I do?”

This question is one that I have been asked often. Many Christians struggle with this issue. However, the Bible is clear that if you as a believer have wronged another believer then you need to attempt to make things right. God has given us a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19).

A few years ago, a woman named Dee felt something was missing in her life. So, she started coming to my church. Eventually, she gave her life to Christ. It was my privilege to baptize her. Whenever someone gets saved, it is a miracle of God. But Dee’s salvation was truly a miracle considering she was eighty-three-years-old. Most of the time, when someone reaches that age, life has hardened them to the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ.

One day Dee told me about her daughter, Joy. Dee had basically abandoned Joy when she was a child. They had not spoken to each other for almost fifty years. I encouraged Dee to call her daughter and apologize. Dee said the same thing to me that Ladonna said in her letter, “I don’t want to make things worse or dig up old wounds.” I said, “Jesus Christ can heal wounds even old ones,” as I handed her the phone. She called her daughter and apologized. She shared how Jesus Christ had changed her life. As they spoke, Joy put her faith in Jesus as Savior. She became reconciled with Jesus and with her mother. Now both Dee and Joy have peace with each other and peace with God.

The point is: When you confess and seek forgiveness from someone you have wronged, God provides opportunities for healing (James 5:16). By not seeking reconciliation, you feel sick with unforgiveness, anger, and shame. God through His Son and Spirit can heal you when you seek His help.

Why don’t you lean on God’s strength and reach out to that person and show them the love of Christ today?

Better late than never.

James Collins is pastor of Fort Scott’s First Southern Baptist Church. You can write to him at PO Box 227, Fort Scott, KS 66701 or by email at [email protected].

The Bottom Line by Jimmy Tucker

We have a friend who jokingly said, “We think we have to refrigerate leftovers before we can throw ‘em away.“ That’s a fairly-truthful statement for some homes — but not ours. We’re pretty good at eating leftovers down to the last bite. Once in awhile the neighbor dog gets a snack, but not very often. If he had to live on what we threw out, he’d starve.

As we start off the New Year, I highly recommend you toss out something else; and that’s your worries. Some people will even admit, “Oh, that’s just what I do — I worry.“ That’s like saying, “Oh, that’s just what I do — I hurt myself.” When you worry about tomorrow, it steals your peace and joy for today and God‘s blessings for tomorrow. How many times have you worried about something that never happened? Worry doesn’t help you, so why fall into the devil’s trap and be miserable when you can choose to trust God and be blessed?

Let’s review some scriptures to help you realize how important it is to live according to God’s Word. “I tell you not to worry about everyday life…Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? …Why do you have so little faith? So don’t worry about these things… These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs. Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t worry about tomorrow” (Matthew 6:25,27,30-34 NLT).

It’s a sobering fact that Christians who worry are not trusting God in that situation. A believer that worries has “little faith.” Ouch! Believers should have big faith. Instead of worry, “seek the Kingdom of God above all else and live righteously.” Righteous living is to submit to Jesus as King and to live according to His ethics.

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6,7 NLT).

We need to remember what God has done for us in the past and thank Him for His goodness. If God is your Father, you can be assured that He will take a father’s place and perform a father’s part.

“I cast the whole of my care [all my anxieties, all my worries, all my concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for me affectionately and cares about me watchfully (1 Peter 5:7 AMP). The definition of cast is: throw (something) forcefully in a specified direction. The Bottom Line: Cast your cares and your moldy leftovers.

Pastor Jimmy Tucker

(620) 223-1483

Diamond Community Church

2591 Jayhawk Road

10:45 a.m. Worship